Au revoir, France: China to become world’s top travel destination by 2030

This year will see a total of 1.4 billion trips made around the world, according to a report by research group Euromonitor International which expects that number to rise by another billion within the next 12 years.

“Destinations like China are poised for a successful performance in inbound tourism, with China set to overtake France as the leading destination worldwide by 2030,” said the report.

Most of the increases in tourism will come from within the Asia Pacific region where trips are expected to increase by ten percent this year. The region has benefited from rapidly-growing economies as well as a growing middle class in Asia looking to spend more on travel.

The gradual process of loosening visa restrictions has made travelling in the Asia Pacific easier, with 80 percent of arrivals in Asia originating from the region, said Euromonitor's senior travel analyst Wouter Geerts.